'Intercultural Understanding' Don't fight the annual April Fools Day silliness - play along!

France:

Hoaxes to watch/read about:

(If YouTube is blocked in school, download and install REALPLAYER and you will be able to download most videos straight onto your laptop/memory stick)

• Le Parisien announces the dismantling of the Eiffel Tower http://www.linternaute.com/humour/canular/canulars-1er-avril/la-tour-eiffel-deplacee-chez-mickey.shtml
• French advert for Epson printers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A7WmcWwowk
• Left-handed hamburgers http://www.linternaute.com/humour/canular/canulars-1er-avril/un-burger-pour-les-gauchers.shtml
• La tribune announces new French Euros with red/white/blue sides and the selling off of the contents of the Louvre http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/20100309trib000485730/confidentiel-nos-infos-sur-frederic-lefebvre-a-l-afp-un-euro-en-bleu-blanc-rouge-et-la-vente-des-reserves-du-louvre.html
• And how about this advert for a Special iPad for Senior Citizens http://www.mac4ever.com/1eravril/ipad_2010/

History/Background:

• The history of April Fools Day from French wikipedia http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson_d'avril
• and another version from http://francesebtorre.blogspot.com/2010/04/poisson-davril_02.html
• and when you know all there is to know - try this quiz in French http://www.momes.net/dictionnaire/minidossiers/quizz/quizz-poisson-d-avril.html

Activities:

• Get year 7 to draw, colour, cut out and make their own paper fish with authentic templates from http://www.fete-enfants.com/poisson-avril-enfants/poisson-avril-coloriages.htm, http://www.momes.net/coloriages/poissons/poissons.html or http://www.teteamodeler.com/dossier/avril.asp
• A little more complex? Try following these instructions to make a fish card that turns into something much bigger with teeth - as a group challenge perhaps? http://www.bonjourlesenfants.net/poisson-avril/dessin-poisson-avril.php
• Starter activity - print out and slice up these suggested pranks for children; divide your class into pairs or small groups and give a different one to each group, then no more than 5 minutes to work out what the trick is - then pairs have to feedback to the class. http://www.momes.net/dictionnaire/p/poissondavril2.html
• Send a free Poisson d'avril e-card or get the class to as homework from http://www.ptitclic.net/carteriepoissonavril/index.htm

And for those teaching KS2 or with younger/keen classes:

• Les Poissons song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcLIIz8p35M
• Lyrics to go with the above http://www.yadeeda.com/songs_words/words_soyons%20amis/les%20poissons_words.htm

Spain:

Ah - now the Spanish don't celebrate this day as such, however they do have a tradition of playing tricks on the 28th December - the Day of the Holy Innocents.

German: